Clean coal electrical generation

Abstract

The invention produces a mechanism and method to clean coal of contaminates/pollutants such as sulfur, mercury, silica, and others, for use in a coal fired electrical generator. The mined coal is first ground to a mesh size and is subjected to a vertical separator which separates contaminates/pollutants from the coal. The now cleaned coal is ground to a smaller mesh size and injected into the boiler of the electrical generator. In some embodiments, the cleaned coal is formed into solids for transport to the coal fired electrical generator.

Claims

1. A coal fired generator operation comprising the steps of: a) grinding coal to a first coarseness to form a first ground coal; b) separating contaminates from the first ground coal using a particle density vertical separator to form a clean ground coal by precipitating the contaminates; c) grinding the clean ground coal into a second coarseness to form a second ground coal; and, d) injecting the second ground coal into a boiler adapted to generate electricity.

2. The coal fired generator according to claim 1, wherein the steps of grinding coal to a first coarseness, separating contaminates from the first ground coal, and grinding the clean ground coal into a second coarseness are all performed within a single housing.

3. The coal fired generator according to claim 1, further including the step of forming the clean ground coal into solids having at least four cubic inches of clean ground coal.

4. The coal fired generator according to claim 3, wherein the step of forming the clean ground coal into solids includes the step of forming the clean ground coal into pellet shape.

5. The coal fired generator according to claim 4, further including the step of transporting the clean coal pellets to the site for grinding the clean ground coal to the second ground coal.

6. The coal fired generator according to claim 5, wherein the step of transporting the clean coal pellets includes the step of loading the clean coal pellets into a rail-road car.

7. A mechanism to clean coal of contaminates comprising: a. a container holding mined coal; b. a first grinder receiving the mined coal and adapted to grind the mined coal to a first coarseness, forming a first ground coal; and, c. a vertical particle separator receiving the first ground coal and adapted to separate contaminates from the first ground coal to form clean ground coal.

8. The mechanism to clean coal of pollutants according to claim 7, further including a mechanism adapted to form the clean ground coal into solids having at least four cubic inches of clean ground coal.

9. The mechanism to clean coal of pollutants according to claim 8, wherein the mechanism adapted to form the clean ground coal into solids forms the clean ground coal into pellet shape solids.

10. The mechanism to clean coal according to claim 9, further including a conveyor mechanism transporting the pellet shaped solids into a rail-road car.

11. A mechanism used in conjunction with a coal fired generator comprising: a) a container holding mined coal; b) a first grinder receiving the mined coal and adapted to grind the mined coal to a first ground coal; c) N separation systems, each of said separation systems receiving said first ground coal in an cascading series from the prior separation system such that each separation system withdraws a specified size of said first ground coal and delivers said specified size to an associated vertical particle separator such that said vertical particle separator separates contaminates from the first ground coal to produce a clean ground coal.

12. The mechanism used in conjunction with a coal fired generator according to claim 11, further including a compaction mechanism adapted to form the clean ground coal from the separation systems into solids having at least four cubic inches of clean ground coal.

13. The mechanism used in conjunction with a coal fired generator according to claim 12, wherein the compaction mechanism adapted to form the clean ground coal into solids forms the clean ground coal into pellet shape solids.

14. The mechanism used in conjunction with a coal fired generator according to claim 13, further including a conveyor mechanism transporting the pellet shaped solids into a rail-road car.

15. The mechanism used in conjunction with a coal fired generator according to claim 12, further including: a) a second grinder receiving the clean ground coal and creating coal of a second size to form second ground coal; b) a blending mechanism for mixing Blending the second ground coal into an airstream; and, c) an injector applying the airstream into a boiler of the coal fired generator.

Description

DRAWING IN BRIEF

[0018] FIG. 1 diagrams the preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0019] FIG. 2 illustrates the embodiment of the invention in which the cleaned coal is formed into solids and placed into train cars for transport to the coal fired electrical generator.

[0020] FIG. 3 diagrams the embodiment of the invention in which a series of screens are placed in cascading arrangement to classify the coal into various sizes.

DRAWING IN DETAIL

[0021] FIG. 1 diagrams the preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0022] In this embodiment, coal from coal bin 10 (being mined coal) is ground using grinder 11 to form a first ground coal. In this embodiment, grinder 11 is adapted to output ground coal within a chosen particle size range.

[0023] This ground coal is communicated to a vertical separator 12 such as those described above to separate the first ground coal into a clean ground coal 13B and contaminants 13A. Contaminants 13A collect 14, are then removed to be disposed according to their toxicity .

[0024] The clean ground coal 13B is communicated via duct 16 to a second grinder 15 which grinds the clean ground coal into a second coarseness suitable for use by the coal generator furnace 19. The second clean ground coal is mixed 18 with an air flow 17 prior to being injected into furnace 19.

[0025] In the preferred embodiment the operation of FIG. 1 is completely performed within a within a single housing 9. This embodiment is ideal where the coal mine and the power plant are located on a single site.

[0026] FIG. 2 illustrates the embodiment of the invention in which the cleaned coal is formed into solids and placed into train cars for transport to the coal fired electrical generator.

[0027] As with the embodiment described above, the ground coal is separated using a vertical separator 22 which communicates the clean ground coal via duct 21 to pelletizer 20. In this embodiment, the clean ground coal is to be used off-site requiring transportation, which, in the ground state, would be problematic; but, as chunks of at least four cubic inches, is safely and easily transported.

[0028] The clean ground coal is then formed into a solid form using pelletizer 20 which creates solids of at least four cubic inches for ease in transportation. The solid formed clean coal is dropped 24 into railroad car 23 for transportation to the coal fired electrical generator (not shown) where the solid formed clean coal is then ground in situ to the size used for that specific genertor.

[0029] In the ideal embodiment of this technique, the clean ground coal is formed into pellet shapes.

[0030] FIG. 3 diagrams the embodiment of the invention in which a series of screens are placed in cascading arrangement to classify the coal into various sizes.

[0031] The mined coal is stored in bin 30 which feeds grinder 31, grinding the mined coal into a variety of mesh sizes. Grinder 31 feeds the ground coal onto a first separation mechanism 32A which allows a specified mesh size to fall through to vertical separator 34A (not shown). Coal which is not withdrawn from separation mechanism 32A, cascades onto separation mechanism 32B (feeding vertical separator 34B, not shown); the excess coal from separation mechanism 32B cascades onto separation mechanism 32C which allows a certain mesh size to fall to vertical separator 34C, not shown; and the process continues until the final separation mechanism 32N feeding vertical separator 34N.

[0032] Any coal not removed via the cascade above, is collected and fed back via duct 33 to the coal bin 30.

[0033] In this manner, a less than perfect grinder 31 is able to obtain clean coal as outlined above.

[0034] In one application, the clean coal generated by vertical separators 32A-32N is compacted to form the clean ground coal into solids having at least four cubic inches of clean ground coal as described above

[0035] It is clear that the present invention provides a highly improved purity of coal to be used in the generation of electricity